Town approves 10 projects for CPA funding

Northborough – In the four years it has participated in the Community Preservation Act (CPA), Northborough has allocated more than $1.8 million to affordable housing, historical preservation and open space/recreation projects.

This year Town Meeting voters approved funding for 10 projects, allocating a total of more than $700,000. Sixteen projects were brought before the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) requesting CPA funding approval.

Committee Chair John Campbell said that the projects that were chosen were selected based on one of three criteria: a strong consensus to support creation of additional aff ordable housing; a commitment to historical preservation projects with the greatest public benefit; and a continued commitment to open space reserves and continued support of the trails network.

In the area of aff ordable housing, the CPC – and subsequently the town – approved $197,000 in fiscal year 2008 CPA revenue, along with $103,000 from reserves sent to the Northborough Affordable Housing Corp. (NAHC), for acquisition of aff ordable housing units. The CPC then recommended to the NAHC that it use the $300,000 for acquisition of any aff ordable housing units it deems appropriate.

Also approved by the CPC and the town was the sum of $3,000 to the NAHC for reorganization costs.

Historical preservation projects approved included: $35,000 for Phase 1 of the Preservation of Town Records project; $20,000 for renovations to the Historical Society Building for creation of a handicapped-access ramp and handicapped-access bathroom; and $2,000 for signage to identify the Meeting House Historic District.

Also approved was the banking of $70,000 in the Historical Preservation reserves.

In the area of open space/ recreation, the CPC and the town opted to approve $225,000 be deposited in the Open Space Reserve, $21,450 be earmarked for the Fire Department for a Trails and Fire Rescue Vehicle for trails preservation, $5,000 for the Trails Committee, and $20,000 to the CPC administrative account.

The summary of the three accounts – the Open Space Reserve, the Historical Resources Reserve and the Aff ordable Housing Reserve – show that:

The Open Space Reserve, to be used for future acquisition of open space, easements and restrictions, totals $772,500, of which $547,500 has been transferred to the Conservation Fund; the Historic Resources Reserve, to be used for future acquisitions of historic properties, easements and restrictions, totals $150,000; and the Affordable Housing Reserve, to be used for future acquisitions of aff ordable housing, restrictions and property, totaled $103,000, although that amount was transferred to the Affordable Housing Corporation in 2008.